STATE OF ALASKA
DIVISION OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SITUATION REPORT 03-363 (as of 11:00 AM December 29, 2003) Homeland Security Advisory System – National Level: Orange-High U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Homeland Security Advisory System – Alaska Level: Orange-High Alaska Division of Homeland Security
State Emergency Coordination Center Preparedness Level: 2-Heightened Sense of Awareness Alaska Division of Emergency Services
Military installations in Alaska are at FPCON B.
Current Internet Threat Level: 1-Regular Vigilance Internet Security Systems
State Emergency Coordination Center (SECC) Operations: To reach the SECC dial (907) 428-7100 or 1-888-462-7100, 24 hours per day. The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has a web site available for information on emergency topics at http://www.ak-prepared.com and Homeland Security information at http://www.ak-prepared.com/homelandsecurity/. For further information: Countries: U.S. State Department Background Notes. Maps: United Nations Cartographic Section Terrorist Groups: Background Information on Foreign Terrorist Organizations Background Information on Other Terrorist Groups. State of Alaska Situation Winter Weather Warning The National Weather Service Fairbanks has issued winter weather warnings for the following: Deltana and Tanana Flats including Salcha, Delta Junction, Fort Greely, Harding/Birch Lake, Dry Creek, Dot Lake and Healy Lake. High wind warning through this evening. Southeast winds of 35 5o 45 mph with gusts to 55 mph will continue into this evening as a strong front moves over the Alaska Range. Winds are expected to diminish overnight. Northern Arctic Coast including Barrow, Alaktak, Pitt Point and Nulavik. High wind warning today into tonight. East winds gusting to 50 mph will continue into tonight. There will be low visibility in blowing snow through tonight as well, but visibility should remain at 1/4 mile or better due to the lack of loose snow to blow. Denali including Healy, Denali National Park, Carlo Creek and Kantishna. High wind warning in effect through this afternoon. South winds 40 mph with gusts to 60 mph through the passes will continue through this afternoon. Winds will begin to diminish this evening. Eastern Alaska Range, including Black Rapids, Donnelly Dome, Trims Camp, Eagle Trail, and Mineral Lake. High wind warning in effect through this evening. South winds 40 mph with gusts to 60 mph through the passes will continue through this evening. Winds will diminish over night tonight. Western Arctic Coast including Wainwright, Atqasuk, Point Lay and Cape Lisburne. Blizzard warning through this evening. Near-zero visibility in snow and blowing snow is occurring with east winds of 35 to 45 mph. These conditions will continue through this evening and then gradually improve. Central Beaufort Sea Coast and Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast including Nuiqsut, Prudhoe Bay, Alpine, Deadhorse, Kuparuk, Kaktovik and Flaxman Island. Blizzard warning through tonight. East winds gusting to 60 mph combined with blowing snow are producing near-zero visibilities. These conditions will continue through tonight and gradually improve on Tuesday. Baldwin Peninsula and Selawik Valley including, Kotzebue, Selawik, Noorvik. Blizzard warning through early evening. Blizzard conditions with near-zero visibilities are expected to continue through early evening over the Baldwin Peninsula and Selawik Valley. Conditions should improve this evening as winds begin to subside. Lower Yukon Valley including Marshall, Russian Mission, Holy Cross, Grayling, Shageluk, Anvik, Flat. Lower Koyukuk and the Middle Yukon Valleys including Galena. Nulato, Huslia, Kaltag, Ruby and Koyukuk. Heavy snow warning today. Heavy snow continues to fall over the lower Yukon Valley, Lower Koyukuk and the Middle Yukon Valleys this morning and is expected to continue through the day. 6 to 10 inches of snow is expected to fall over the region before the snow diminishes tonight. The heaviest snowfall will be over the Nulato Hills. Lower Koyukuk and the Middle Yukon Valleys including Galena. Nulato, Huslia, Kaltag, Ruby and Koyukuk. Heavy snow warning today. Heavy snow continues to fall over the lower Yukon Valley, Lower Koyukuk and the Middle Yukon Valleys this morning and is expected to continue through the day. 6 to 10 inches of snow is expected to fall over the region before the snow diminishes tonight. The heaviest snowfall will be over the Nulato Hills. The National Weather Service Anchorage has issued high wind and heavy snow warnings for the following: Anchorage, Eagle River, Indian and Eklutna. Continue high wind warning for Turnagain Arm and higher elevations through this afternoon. East to southeast wind 30 to 50 mph with gusting to 90 mph will continue at higher elevations and along Turnagain Arm diminishing by this afternoon. Wind gust at McHugh Creek overnight reached 91 mph. Western Prince William Sound including Whittier, Seward, Girdwood and Moose Pass. Continue high wind warning for the Portage Valley and Turnagain Arm through this afternoon. East winds 30 to 40 mph gusting to 90 mph will continue along Turnagain Arm and through Portage Valley diminishing by afternoon. Winds have gusted to 70 mph at the Portage Glacier visitor center overnight. Susitna Valley including Talkeetna, Willow and Cantwell. Continue heavy snow warning for the Alaska Range through this afternoon. Storm total snowfall will reach up to 20 to 32 inches along the Alaska Range. Northeast Prince William Sound including Valdez and Thompson Pass. Heavy snow warning. Snow will be heavy at times for the City of Valdez and through Thompson Pass through tonight before diminishing by Tuesday morning. Storm total snowfall 24 to 36 inches. National Situation · Amid a heightened state of alert for terrorists, the U.S. government said today it will require international air carriers in certain cases to place armed law enforcement officers on flights over the United States. The Homeland Security Department said the directive, which is effective immediately, will further enhance security on commercial and cargo aircraft flying to, from and over the United States. "We are asking international air carriers to take this protective action as part of our ongoing effort to make air travel safe for Americans and visitors alike," Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said. More... International Situation · The U.N. nuclear chief said today that his visits to four once-secret nuclear sites proved that Libya had been in the early stages of a weapons program before it dismantled its efforts. “What we have seen is a program in the very initial stages of development,” said Mohammed ElBaradei. “We haven’t seen any industrial-scale facility to produce highly enriched uranium; we haven’t seen any enriched uranium” — the material needed for developing nuclear weapons. ElBaradei and his team of experts visited four previously unmentioned nuclear sites in and around Tripoli on Sunday, and he said all the equipment had been dismantled and boxed up. More... · Saudi authorities, facing a wave of militant attacks, have arrested five people after raiding computer shops selling compact disks containing hidden bomb-making instructions. Police were questioning four owners of computer shops in the southern Jazan region and a fifth person believed to have supplied the CDs to the shops. More... · Two of the suicide bombers who tried to kill Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf last Thursday have been identified. One came from Chechnya, while the other was a member of a Kashmiri militant outfit banned two years ago. The identification has spurred several arrests in the capital city of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Pakistan-held Kashmir. The suspects were traced from clues picked up from the remains of their bodies, a chip of a cell phone carried by one of the attackers and the chassis and engine numbers of the two cars used in the incident. More... Significant Dates Dec 31, 1968 Philippines: Marxist-Leninist Party Founded; The Marxist-Leninist Communist Party of the Philippines was founded.
Jan 1, 1964 Israel, Middle East: Fatah Day; The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded at a meeting in Jerusalem. |